Prime Video is coming out hot in Poland, having identified the country as a key emerging European hub.
The streamer used a ‘Prime Video Presents’ showcase in Warsaw to unveil a series of originals, production updates and an increase in investment in the Polish creative industry. Assorted stars, celebrities and industry figures attended the event, which was fronted by Director of Prime Video EU Emerging Ritchie Ordonez and Sylwia Wilk, Senior Content Acquisition Manager at Prime Video Poland.
On the originals front, Prime Video has ordered a doc series on popular Polish singer Doda, lined up music talent series Rap Generation and reality competition series The 50. A slate of Polish movies were also revealed.
Doc series Doda will follow about Dorota ‘Doda’ Rabczewska, and will “not only cover the colourful but also controversial” moments in the artist’s life. The series will delve into her turbulent relationships, highly emotional break-ups, numerous conflicts with the Polish music industry and her antagonists, and look into her ongoing battle against the hate she faced over decades. Papaya Films is producing.
Rap Generation, from producer Rochstar, will be an eight-episode series in which Poland’s best young rappers get the chance to rise to fame through a competition in which contestants live together while training under a professional. The winner bags a recording contract with Warner Music Poland. Among the judges are acclaimed Polish rapper Pezet, singer/songwriter and rapper Young Leosia and rapper and producer Malik Montana..
Prime Video has also ordered a local version of French competition format The 50, with Endemol Shine Poland attached to produce. The format sees 50 content creators and reality stars compete through logic and agility tests. The twist is participants are playing not only for themselves but also for their followers, as one of the their fans will win the grand cash prize, whose size depends on the result of challenges and engagement. Prime Video Germany launched a version of the format, which is distributed by Endemol Shine Poland parent Banijay, earlier this year.
Previously announced feature doc Wojciech Szczęsny will launch in fall 2025. The film looks tint the life of the soccer star, who is consider one of the top keepers in Polish history thanks to a career spanning spells at Arsenal, Juventus, AS Roma and Barcelona and 84 appearances for the national team. Besides looking into his soccer career, it will explore his marriage to Polish singer and influencer Marina Łuczenko-Szczęsna, and his relationship with his five-year-old son Liam. Papaya is again producing.
Doc series Ski Jumpers, which is about the Polish national ski jumping team, will launch on January 10, 2025, next month, while Season 3 of LOL: Last One Laughing Poland will debut a week later on January 17. Ski Jumpers, another from Endemol Shine Poland, will feature the likes of skiers Kamil Stoch, Piotr Żyła, Dawid Kubacki and Adam Małysz.
LOL S3, adapted from the Japanese format that Prime Video has remade multiple times, will feature theatre and film actor Andrzej Seweryn; actress, author and screenwriter Izabela Kuna; comedy and theater actress Barbara Kurdej-Szatan; theatre, film and cabaret actor Michał Czernecki; rising star Ignacy Liss; the comedian and cabaret performer Rafał Rutkowski; stand-up veteran Piotrek Szumowski; Igor Kwiatkowski; YouTuber and traveller Aga Grzelak; and internet personalities, Basia Cichocka-Mruk, known online as ‘Ta Typiara.’ The six-part show comes from Constantin Entertainment Polska for Amazon MGM Studios
Prime Video has also boarded feature films Kulej, Druzyna AA, and Przepiekne, which will launch on the service after their theatrical release in 2025.
“We are thrilled to celebrate a very successful year for Prime Video in Poland, which has become one of the fastest growing countries for our service in Europe,” said Ritchie Ordonez, Director of the Amazon unit now referred to as Prime Video EU Expansion. “For 2025, we are ramping up our investment in the Polish creative industry and present our most diverse line-up of local shows for our Polish customers.
“We continue to build Prime Video as a first-stop entertainment destination, delivering unparalleled choice for customers to stream International and Polish original programming included with Amazon Prime, in addition to the newest theatrical releases to buy and rent, as well as add-on channels for subscription.”
Ordonez told Deadline that Poland has been identified as a key emerging territory in Europe for Prime Video and so tonight’s event is an important signpost for the direction of traffic. The country’s streaming sector is lead by the likes of Netflix, while Warner Bros Discovery has a strong presence in the territory and operates Max.
Ordonez took on her role earlier this year as part of a wider restructure that moved investment away from the Middle East and Africa and towards Amazon’s European content division, which split in two — an ‘established’ group of UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain, and an ’emerging division’ including the Poland, the Netherlands, the Nordics and Turkey. We revealed news of the move, which resulted in job losses in the MENA region, in January.
Prime Video will get a new leader in Europe in January, as Andrew Bennett relocates from the U.S. to the UK to become Vice President, Prime Video Europe and Global Business Development. Barry Furlong, currently Vice President of Prime Video EMEA, will exit.